Trash container



Aug. 28, 1951 Filed April 2, 1948 M. HENKIN TRASH CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet l 8, 1951 M. HENKIN 2,566,128

TRASH CONTAINER Filed April 2, 1948 2 Sheet s-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 28, 1951 2,566,128 TRASH CONTAINER Maurice Henkin, Memphis, Tenn., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Metalcraft Manufacturing Corp., Memphis, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application April 2, 1948, Serial No. 18,630

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to trash containers, and particularly relates to trash containers having lids or closures hinged to the body portion which include means for effecting opening and closing of the lid.

It further relates to new improvements in the hinge for such lids.

The principal object of the invention is to prtivide a mechanically simple lidded container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved means for opening and closing the lid of the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved hinge for the lid of such a container.

A further object of the invention is to combine with such a hinge a new handle arrangement.

And a further object of the invention is to generally improve the design, and efficiency of construction of lidded trash containers.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of this invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the back of the container showing the lid in closed position and the arrangement of the lid-opening means.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the container with a portion of the lid broken away to illustrate the arrangement of the hinge means.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front view on an enlarged scale of the lower portion of the container illustrating the positioning of the pedal of the closure operating means.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear view illustrating the positioning of parts of the closure operating means when the lid is in open position.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the relation of the parts when the lid is in open position.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals:

The container of this invention comprises a body portion H which is preferably substantially rectangular in cross section and includes front wall HA, rear wall HE and side walls IIC which are preferably formed from a single integral, continuous sheet-like member, the corners between the respective wall portions being preferably rounded. Closure of the bottom of the container is effected by a bottom IID which is 2 secured and sealed along its edges to the respective lower edges of the vertical walls. The respective upper edges of the vertical walls of the container are preferably formed into a rolled bead l3 which extends without interruption along the entire upper edge of the body portion. Preferably this bead encloses a stiffener wire l5. 5

The body portion is preferably provided with front and rear supports ll, l9 which are preferably elongated members extending along at least a major portion of each of the front and rear edges of the bottom of the container. Closure of the container is effected by a lid 2| which .is hingedto the body portion in the manner hereinafter described.

Preferably the lid 2| is, as ilustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, upwardly arched and is preferably provided with a peripheral gasket 23 which is provided to seat upon the bead l3 in effecting closure of the container. The rear wall NE of the container adjacent the bead I3 is provided with a pair of spaced slots 25, the upper edges of the slots being preferably contiguous to the bead,

' so that the bead bridges the slots.

The slots 25 are preferably spaced substantially equidistant from the vertical center line of the rear wall HB and are provided to permit the passage therethrough of hinge members 21, 28, below bead l3, by which hinge members the lid 21 is hingedly secured to the container. The hinge members are substantially identical and each include a forward portion which is rigidly secured to the inner side of the lid 2| and project rearwardly therefrom, being centrally downwardly deformed to pass around and embrace the bead l3 as the members are passed through the slots 25 below the bead.

As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6, the central section 29 of each of the hinge members is deformed into substantially U-shape to embrace the segment of the bead so that the bead is enabledto serve as a hinge pin for the hinge members 21, 28.

Rearwardly of the central section, each of the hinge members includes a rearwardly projecting portion 3| and each is continued from the rear end of the rearwardly projecting portion with an upwardly projecting portion 33. Extending between the upper ends of the upwardly projecting portions 33 as a handle member 35, which, it will be seen, is normally positioned above and rearwardly of the hinge center. As shown, the handlemember 35 is a separate member secured to the portions 33. It may, however, be formed integral therewith as in a cast unit.

One of the hinge members, in the present instance, the member 28, is provided with an apertured ear 3! which is rigidly secured to the hinge member adjacent the junction of the rearwardly projecting portion 3| with the upwardly projecting portion 33 of the member 28. Pivotally secured to the ear 31, as by hook 39, is an elongated reach rod 4| which extends downwardly from the point of connection at a slight angle of inclination from the vertical and is preferably provided at its lower end with a second hook 43. Through the medium of the hook 43 the reach rod is coupled to a lever arm 45 of a rocking shaft 41. The rocking shaft 41 extends from rear to front of the container substantially along the midline thereof and is journalled adjacent its opposite ends in the support members I1, H). Forwardly of the front support I! the rocking shaft is provided with a pedal 49 for rotating the shaft to effect operation of the lever arm and reach rod for movement of the lid.

I-t will be seen 'thatthe lever arm-45 is'disposed at an angle of inclination from the vertical of the nature of forty-five degrees and that the respective lengths of the reach rod 4! and the lever arm '45 are such that the sum of their lengths is substantially in excess of the distance between the ear 3'! and the shaft journal formed in the rear support I9. Preferably the lever arm, rocking shaft'an'd-pedalare formed of an integral rod-like member.

- The pedal 59 is provided with projecting-extremities 49A, 49B, which are disposed in planes intersecting at' an obtuse angle with one of the extremities 49A being preferably positioned substantially parallel to the lever arm 45.

When the container has been assembled in the mannerulescribedgoperation of the lid to effect openingand closing thereof may be accomplished through the medium offoot pedal 49. Thus as the extremity 49A is depressed the shaft 41 is rotated, depressing the lever arm 45, correspondingly lowerin the reach rod 4| and movin the rearwardly projecting ear 3'! about the hinge center formed by the bead l3 so as to lower the rearwardly projecting portion 3| and to raise the 'fIt"*wi11be' -seen that, aswthe lid 2| is upwardly arched, when it-has been moved to the open position illustrated in Fig. 6, the mass of weight of the lid is rearward of the'hinge center so as to tend to maintain the lid in upright position, further rearward movement of the hinge being prevented by the engagement of the rearwardly projecting portions 3| against-the rear wall HB.

may assume all of the requisite counter-balance of the lid the extremity 49Bmay be depressed,

thus effecting. counter-rotation of the shaft 4'! and reversal of the movement of the'leve'r arm which is to be avoided, the positioning of the handle 35 above and rearwardly of the hinge center enables the user to raise the entire container by the handle, thus exerting a downward force-on the. lid, maintaining it in closed position until intentional discharge of the contents may be effected, and this downward closing force is further assisted by the weight of the contents of the container so that the container is satisfactorily retained in closed condition during movement of the containerthrough the use of the handle 35. a

It will be understood that the coupling ofthe reach rodand lever arm may be effected with the hinge member- 27, the positioning ofthe lever arm and of the pedal 49 being reversed thereby without-departing hereform.

It will also be understood thatwhile it is preferable to employ an upwardly arched lid, as the lid 2|, the arch maybe modified or eliminated entirely if desired without-departing herefrom.

. It will also be understood-that -the areach rod may be coupled to the hinge means in'other-man her than. through the ear 3 I Iclaim: p

A container, a lid for eliecting closure of said container, a pair of spaced hinge members attached to said lid-and connected hingedly to said container, apair of substantially L-shapedrmembers respectively integral with said hinge members and-positioned exterior said container-with oneleg of each L member insubstantially horizontalalinement with saidhinge meansand-thc other legs of said L members respectively extending upwardly from their junctions with the first mentioned legs and diverging away from said container, an eye secured to and projecting from one of said upwardly turned legs adj-acentthe junction ofsaid one leg withits relatedhorizontal leg, a handle member secured to and spanning between the upper ends of the last -mentioned legs and being spaced above said horizontal-legs and rearward of said container, and operating means for effecting opening and closing .movement of said lid including a -reach rod coupled to said w MAURICE REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

